In late 2021, Narcos: Mexico concluded the popular Narcos franchise after six seasons. If this still doesn’t seem like enough drug-lording escapades to you, there’s some good news. Sofia Vergara will soon star as Griselda Blanco, the so-called “Cocaine Godmother,” in the aptly titled Griselda on Netflix. The not-as-good news is that this is not a direct crossover series, yet this still feels like a Narcos show, and there’s a damn fine reason for that.
This series is the “cousin” to Narcos, and that’s a quote from Narcos: Mexico executive producer Eric Newman, who teamed up with original Narcos co-creator Doug Miro for this series that’s executive produced by Vergara. You will notice a few familiar faces along the way, for sure.
Griselda also happens to be Vergara’s first extensive dramatic role, and she portrays a woman who deftly piloted Miami’s cocaine trade into party central. She did, of course, have a legion of helpers that she personally recruited, and she eventually did earn respect, but it was a hell of a struggle. If you think it was difficult to be taken seriously in a “normal” 1970s or 1980s profession as a woman, imagine the scoffs that the first female drug lord received in her time on the “job.” Then again, it’s difficult to feel bad for a woman who ran an $80 million per month cocaine empire in her heyday.
Griselda Blanco proved herself to be industrious and creative while putting together her network. She was savvy and shrewd as a businesswoman, but she had plenty of fatal flaws that led to her downfall. Blanco was incredibly brutal and had no issues with calling for executions on the spot. Lots of collateral damage went down on her watch, and it’s estimated that she was responsible for somewhere between 50 to 250 murders.
Naturally, there was some urban legend-ing involved with her story, but Griselda does the thing with parceling out truth with the slightly fantastical aspects of her twisted legacy. Narcos fans will be pleased with the series. From the Netflix synopsis:
La Jefa is coming. Sofia Vergara transforms in this series, inspired by Griselda Blanco, a woman who rose from obscurity to become ‘the Godmother’ of the underworld. Witness her lethal blend of charm and ruthlessness in this captivating series.
Griselda streams on January 25, 2024.